Do You Have a Faith That Encourages Others?
Thinking about Romans 1:8.
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. (Romans 1:8)
Paul thanked God through Jesus Christ for the Christians in Rome - Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, slave and free, man and woman.
He was thankful for their faith - and that their faith was of such high quality that it was spoken of throughout the world.
As far as we know, Paul had not established the church in Rome. He knew some of the Christians there personally, but some he likely did not know as well. But there was no jealousy or envy on Paul’s part because of how well they were doing without him being there to help them.
What a man God had made of Paul. There was no envy here. One of these days we’ll (please God!) see a generation of proclaimers who will not care who gets the praise as long as Christ is glorified and then perhaps we’ll really see a change in the world. - McGuiggan, Romans, 56
They could have hidden their faith.
These Christians lived in Rome - the city of Nero. Rome was filled with wickedness - and it encouraged Paul and others that even in this city filled with evil, the faith of Christians continued to shine like a beacon in the night.
I’ve heard it said before that the Lord’s church would be most successful in a godly, moral society. While I understand the sentiment behind these thoughts - the church in Rome is a testament to the absurdity of that statement. The Lord’s church can stand firm, grow and prosper even in the most hostile and immoral of societies.
The success of the Lord’s kingdom is not dependent upon the stance of any kingdom of this world. Perhaps the Lord’s church in the United States would experience a spiritual revival if we would ever come to understand this fact.
Their faith showed their devotion.
The Christians in Rome had a faith that could be spoken of because they had devoted themselves to Jesus Christ. They had a faith that was alive - not dead - because they believed God enough to serve and obey Him (James 2:14-26).
No doubt, the Christians in Rome were also involved in spreading “the faith” to as many as they could in Rome. They were faithful servants of the Lord and obeyed the “Great Commission.”
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:15-16)
Do you have a faith that is an encouragement to others? I know Christians lying in hospital beds at this very moment who continue to encourage their brothers and sisters in Christ because of their faith.
Don’t allow your circumstances to tempt you to “hide” your faith (Matthew 5:13-16). Let your light shine for the glory of God, and you will have a faith that encourages others to keep going.